Crunchyroll, launched in 2006, is an anime streaming platform. While the app is like Netflix, it isn't for kids below 13. Additionally, the wide variety of content present on it ranges from mildly inappropriate to intense adult content. Due to the range of collections, one can never tell what exactly your kid is watching on it.
Many parents still do not exactly know what anime actually is. Anime is a term that refers to animated content produced in Japan or influenced by Japanese animation. In simple terms, anime shows are cartoons, but with a different style to western-style animation. Cartoons are different from anime because cartoons are generally specifically for kids. On the other hand, anime is a cartoon with a vast margin of audience in mind, ranging from adults to kids. Thus, we think it is a red flag, considering the variety of content.
A key question arising in your mind would be, "How safe is Crunchyroll for my kids?" The answer would be not safe at all. No child below 16 years of age should be allowed to access this app without adult supervision. If your child is a fan of Japanese animation, Crunchyroll is ideal. However, you need to monitor their activity to ensure they don't watch inappropriate content.
Why is it unsafe for your children?
There are several reasons responsible for the lack of popularity of this app among parents. Its features are definitely good, but it doesn't restrict access for kids below 13. Here are some key factors to consider before allowing your children to use the app:
- For streaming content, the users must be above 16 years of age. Furthermore, they must have a valid email ID for creating an account. However, the app doesn't have an age verification tool within it. Hence, any individual using any email ID can sign up and stream content. This is a cause for concern for many parents who have children hooked to anime.
- Once somebody gets the service, there is an option to switch off access to 'mature content.' Although it is a good feature, this option can be switched on or off manually. Moreover, it only removes access to adult content. Your children can still watch some animes with sexually suggestive themes or mature themes.
- The app possesses the biggest collection of anime and has a reasonable subscription package as well. It is a great app for anime fans all over the world. Children can still watch certain content in Crunchyroll, but most of them would require supervision.
- After getting a subscription, separate profiles can be made like on Netflix. Thus, parents can easily create a profile just to monitor their kid's activity. That is a good thing, isn't it?
How can you make Crunchyroll safe for your kids?
There are many concerns regarding this anime streaming platform. But kids aren't always the easiest to convince, are they? Many of you may have children who are avid anime heads. Additionally, they may also be urging you to buy a subscription to the app. If you must do so, you can, but there are certainly other measures you can take as well. We have listed them for you as follows:
- A quick Google search of the show they wish to see would give a lot of information. As a parent, you can search the show, read the summary, and then decide if it is appropriate. You can even watch a couple of episodes to ensure that no mature content is there.
- If your children want to watch any anime, volunteer to watch it along with them. In this way, not only can you enjoy some quality content, but you can also supervise and monitor.
- Your child may enjoy the platform more if you make it a family activity. Thus, if any inappropriate content does pop up, you can educate your kid about why it is that way. Your child may then have enough awareness to choose the right show next time.
- In order to reduce the exposure they get to ads, you can always purchase the Premium version. The Premium version allows you to create profiles as well. Hence, one can easily supervise their kids' watchlist and so on.
It is not possible to entirely disbar your kids from using the Internet. In such cases, it is necessary to make sure that you have a parental control tool that will watch your child's back. Here is where Avosmart comes/blog into play.
It is a great parental control tool using which you can keep track of your child's online activities. It also has a plethora of features that are helpful in keeping your children safe from dangers on the Internet.